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Baskin-Robbins reports: chocolate is a very happy flavor!

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

It’s possible you already knew that! Some of us here at FoodFacts.com certainly did. But Baskin-Robbins wanted to officially find out which flavor in their 1,000+ variety database was most associated with happiness, so they’ve conducted a study to determine the results.

To help with this project, Baskin-Robbins said it partnered with Juliet A. Boghossian, a behavioral food expert and founder of Food-ology.

According to Baskin-Robbins, Food-ology is an “original methodology that links food-related habits to personality traits and behavioral tendencies.”

Looking to stamp out gloominess and summer funks, Baskin-Robbins handed Boghossian a tough assignment: Find out which of the more than 1,000 flavors in the Baskin-Robbins ice cream data-base are most likely to induce happiness.

Using a methodology that could hurt the thinking cap of a Harvard professor, Boghossian concluded that chocolate, jamoca coffee, very berry strawberry, rocky road, and vanilla are the flavors most likely to uplift a person who’s feeling moody and low.

“It’s surprising to most people when they learn that specific ice cream flavors can increase one’s happiness more than others,” Boghossian said in a statement. “For example, the ice cream flavors enjoyed as a child can actually trigger happy memories, release tension, and remove distractions in the moment. Ice cream lovers can also consume a dose of happy by choosing a flavor with mood enhancing ingredients like chocolate, coffee, almonds, or mint.”

In case you’re wondering why such research has just come to light, consider that July happens to be National Ice Cream Month, which on the Baskin-Robbins calendar is also known as a month of sundaes.

Or ice cream cones, for that matter. As part of its celebration of National Ice Cream Month, Baskin-Robbins said it offering customers “a free freshly-baked waffle cone upgrade with the purchase of a double scoop of Baskin-Robbins ice cream. The offer is available at participating Baskin-Robbins shops nationwide throughout the summer months.”

The study is a lot of fun — especially during National Ice Cream Month. Of course, we have to mention that we’d love to see Baskin-Robbins honor the occasion with some ingredient list improvements. But we’re still happy to know which ice cream flavors are bound to lift a heavy summer mood regardless!